When you go to a new nail salon, here are some warning signs. If you see one of them, turn around.
It’s the well-being appointment that we’re all impatiently waiting for to treat ourselves to a moment of relaxation and impeccable beauty right down to our fingertips. However, choosing a new nail salon is not always easy. Between the price, the expertise, the reputation, the designs produced there… It’s difficult to know what to prioritize. In the quest for the ideal place, we must not make a mistake or risk making our nails pay a high price. If a successful manicure refines a look, certain practices, which have become commonplace in many establishments, actually constitute real warning signals. From neglected hygiene habits to questionable technical gestures, certain details are unmistakable and could transform your moment of pleasure into a real dermatological nightmare. Before entrusting your hands to any prosthetist, learn to spot these subtle but crucial clues that must absolutely push you through the door and never to return.
The first sign that should alert you? Hygiene. It goes without saying, but salon cleanliness is very important. “The practitioner must use sterilized instruments. We don’t realize it, but we’re not just going to harm the nail. It can be very serious, you can catch a fungal infection and in the worst case hepatitis.“, explains Julia Melkonova, founder of the Ginger 9 salon in Paris. To ensure that the salon complies with hygiene standards, here is an important clue according to the professional: “If the technician arrives with a closed bag, like in the hospital, containing all the instruments, and she opens it in front of the client.“The other element to look at: on the pedicure side, we check that there are single-use protections on the seats but also on the small bathtub for the feet.
The other point to watch out for? The time allocated to the service. According to Julia Melkonova, it takes at least an hour and twenty minutes to do a beautiful manicure. A revealing point: the technician takes her time on the application and does not file the surface of the nail until it turns red. “It’s very meticulous work, really like making jewelry.“, insists the owner of Ginger 9. In addition to taking her time, the prosthetist must provide good advice. For example, if your nail is too damaged, she must be able to refuse the application of semi-permanent varnish and offer an alternative. “We do the manicure and the treatment, the hands are clean and well-groomed but we do not apply varnish because this risks weakening the nail even more.“, continues the expert.
The third “red flag” that should alert you? The price! Julia Melkonova is clear: if the cost is too low, the quality is certainly not there. “That means something is wrong. For example, the salon does not pay its taxes, uses cheap and toxic materials, or the technician is not trained enough.“, says the professional. She adds that an experienced and competent nail technician will demand a substantial salary. “Customer service too, offering tea or coffee, taking care of the cleanliness of the premises… All this is included in the price. If it’s too low it means something is wrong.“Basically, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”There’s no point going where it’s cheaper if you’re ruining your nail health.“Now you know the signals.
